A constant fixture in the annual celebration of Diyandi Festival is the "Taboan sa Iligan." It opens every first week of September and lasts until the first week of October. This year, it is located at the end of Benito Labao Street Extension in Brgy Saray.

"Taboan" is a Visayan word meaning "marketplace" or "meeting or trading place," an apt name for a place where one can find almost anything at reasonable prices -- from clothes to shoes and accessories to household stuff to ornamental plants and furniture.

Various street food can also be enjoyed. There's balut (developing duck embryo that is boiled and eaten in the shell), corn cobs, chicharon (pork cracklings), hotdogs, barbecue, popcorn, cotton candy, local fruits, etc, etc. The list goes on and on and on.

And of course, what's a local fiesta without a "perya" -- the casino, carnival, and amusement rides all in one?

As always, the Ferris wheel takes center stage, standing tall and proud as it leisurely goes round and round and round.

There are more adrenaline-inducing rides as well.

And the more kid-friendly rides...

Plus the casino-ish games for the perya-goers...

Truly, there's fun for all ages at this year's Taboan sa Iligan. Right now, I'm mustering all courage in me to try Galactic the next time I go there. ;)

One of the highlights of this year's Diyandi Festival celebration is the 'Kasadya sa Tartanilya.' It is a parade of decorated and lighted tartanilyas (or horse-drawn carriages) in the city.

These funky rides serve as a tour transport for everyone. There are two routes to choose from Echiverri Street (near Dunkin Donuts Quezon Ave) to Calda Pizza in Pala-o or to Taboan sa Iligan and vice versa.

The riding public can enjoy the ride from September 19 to 28, 2015 at 6:00PM to 10:00PM. Tickets are sold at Php 20 per person.

The 'Kasadya sa Tartanilya: Night Rider' is a project of JCI Iligan and Cooperative Development Livelihood Office.

September is a culturally charged month for Iliganons. It's time for Diyandi Festival sa Iligan,a month-long cultural celebration in honor of its patron saint, St. Michael.

One of the highlights of the celebration is the “Pagkanaug sa Imahe ni Sr. San Miguel” (the descent), which signals the start of the novena (nine days of prayer).

Diyandi, which literally translates to "celebrate," is a ritual dance performed by an all-female troupe outside the Cathedral during the “Pagpakanaug,” before every novena and before the start of the Komedya (Comedia de San Miguel). It is performed by the "Dumagats" (now Christians), the Maranaos (Muslims) and the Higaonons (lumads or natives) to jointly pay homage to St. Michael. The dance aptly describes the peaceful co-existence of Iligan’s tri-people.

The "Diyandi" had been passed from generations to generations and became a part of this city's cultural heritage.